sâmbătă, 10 decembrie 2016

ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — Syria's President Bashar Assad is on the verge of
recapturing all of Aleppo from rebels, but the victory won't be his
alone. The battle for Syria's largest city has attracted thousands of
foreign forces backing Assad — including Russian soldiers and Shiite
fighters from Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. Read More

Pentagon chief announces 200 more US troops for Syria

Washington
will send another 200 troops to Syria to help an alliance of Kurdish
and Arab fighters seize the Islamic State group bastion of Raqa, Defence
Secretary Ashton Carter said on Saturday. The operation coincides with a
vast US-backed offensive to retake Iraq's second city of Mosul from the
jihadists, forming a twin-pronged campaign intended to deliver a
knockout blow to the "caliphate" they declared across Iraq and Syria in
2014. The two cities are the last major urban centres under IS control
after the jihadists suffered a string of territorial losses in both
countries over the past year.

AFP

Iraq says it destroys Mosul car bomb factories

By
Dominic Evans BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces captured a neighborhood
in east Mosul on Friday, pushing deeper to the heart of Islamic State's
Iraq stronghold and destroying three sites where it produced car bombs
used in waves of suicide attacks, the campaign's commander said.
Lieutenant-General Abdul Ameer Rasheed Yarallah said Counter Terrorism
Service forces spearheading the seven-week operation to retake Mosul
seized the Tamim district halfway between the city's eastern edge and
the River Tigris running through its center.

Reuters

Kirk Douglas Celebrates 100 with a Star-Studded Birthday Party (and a Little Vodka)

The
Douglas family arrived at the hotel at 3:00 p.m., with Kirk wearing his
rust-colored tweed jacket, comfortable shoes and plain slacks. Michael
also played tribute to his stepmother, Anne, who has been married to
Kirk for 62 years.

People

Iraqi soldiers are sweeping ISIS from Mosul house by house

(CNN)
Wrapped in a blanket and wearing pink sandals, a little girl sobs in
fear as she walks down the street, gunfire blasting at the end of the
road. Confused, she turns around and covers her face with the blanket.
At that moment, a soldier from Iraq's elite special forces the Golden
Brigade rushes forward to help -- "don't cry," he says, as he guides her
to safer ground. The girl—who looks little more than 10 —is followed by
her younger sister and mother, who also holds a baby in her arms. The
family is one of many fleeing this neighborhood in eastern Mosul as the
Golden Brigade fights street by street, house by house, to drive out
ISIS. As the battle for Mosul enters its third month, the Iraqi

CNN

Iraq and the art of war

As
Iraqi forces fight in an all-out battle to reclaim Mosul, taken by ISIL
in 2014, we speak to two of Iraq's most distinguished artists about the
ongoing bloodshed and destruction in the country, home to what is
considered one of the oldest civilisations. We spoke to Dia al-Azzawi
and Mahmoud Obaidi in Doha, Qatar, where their work is currently been
exhibited. Dia al-Azzawi was a key figure the art scene in Iraq in the
late 1960s and early 1970s and moved to London in 1976. His exhibition
at the Al Riwaq Gallery in Doha showcases a retrospective of more than
500 works that revisit art and narratives that have defined and
redefined the Middle East. Azzawi's works, traversing a range of media,

Al Jazeera

Iraq Prepares for New Fight Against Post-Mosul ISIS

With
the Islamic State group's "caliphate" seemingly nearing its downfall in
Iraq, the country's intelligence and counterterror agencies are
preparing for a different fight against the militants